The Snail and the Whale

Product Information

I have to admit I'm normally sort of allergic to children's books that rhyme, because so many children's books handle verse poorly and because, when I read books that rhyme, my brain has trouble turning off the impulse to judge them as poetry and keeps piping up with nitpicks like, "'Golden'?

Age 3-7 A very tiny snail seeking adventuresails around the world balanced on the tail of a huge, humpback whale. This is a story which suggests however small you are and however big the world is you can make a difference.

This precipitates an epic journey that sees the snail and the whale in icy seas, observing mountains and golden sands on the shore, under the sea admiring the sea-life, surviving a thunderstorm and avoiding pleasure seekers in a holiday resort.

The pair endured thunderstorms and zigzag lightning and the snail was amazed by everything she encountered and everything she saw and when she gazed at the sky, the sea, the land and the waves she was often heard to say, 'I feel so small. The snail has to use his ingenuity to rescue the whale and in doing so realises that it doesn’t matter what size you are, you can still help your friends and be recognised in the World. There are lots of adjectives and other descriptive words in the story which describe different things.This delightful rhyming story would be suitable for children between the ages of three and six however it could also be a nice story to read to even younger children.

There once was a snail that hitched a ride on the tail of the whale, and off they went to travel the world at sea. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the little snail feels so small in the vastness of the world.Together they go on a world-wide ocean journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins until the snail feels very small in the vastness of the world. At school he was good at art, but didn't think of a career in illustration until he won a cuddly purple cow in a drawing competition. I think this is my absolute favourite of hers - it's such a touching, beautiful story that always tugs at my heartstrings.

Snail and whale eventually arrive back at the rock from where they began their journey and all the other snails want to take a trip so the whale has them all on his mighty tail as he sets off once more. Icebergs, fiery mountains and golden sands, caves beneath the crashing waves, and storm tossed seas are all part of the adventure.

While I agree that The Gruffalo is undeniably a fantastic children's book, The Snail and the Whale is by far my favourite of Donaldson's. From the creators of the Gruffalo, a wonderful inspirational book with beautiful environmental messages. If it seems strange that these two would be travelling companions, we will learn as we read this story, that this snail and whale each play an important role in each other’s lives.